A costuming life in colour

Tag Archives: historic knitting

Guys it’s possible I have a problem. But this time it isn’t my fault! I promised Jenny-Rose a pineapple last Christmas as a barter and thus ended up making my THIRD pineapple reticule. Which really is two more than most sane people make.

This time instead of doing the bottom the same as the yellow fruit part I flipped it back around and knitted it as leaves. I added a bead to the decreases. I’m not sure that was the best place/method as they keep trying to pop to the inside. Clearly I didn’t get them in quite right.

Overall I’m happy with this one. It’s a cute little purse. Holds a cell phone and a chapstick…you could probably fit a credit card in there too. I lined it with a scrap of cream silk, sadly I didn’t have yellow. I hadn’t bothered to line my other ones, and honestly it makes such a huge difference in the shape I went back and lined Amanda’s while at her house and will line mine before I use it again.

I’ve been trying to fight off a cold the past two days and while that means I’ve gotten basically zero housework done (bad as my in-laws arrive tomorrow) but I have managed to finish my enormous shawl for Gettysburg.

I used this pattern on Ravelry from an 1864 Godey’s Ladies magazine. It’s all done in Paton’s classic wool and took 4 skeins of the natural marl (which was on clearance, thus began the whole project), one of blue and one and a little bit of the berry. The pattern is really clever, the chevron shape is formed by regular increases in the center back. It’s all basic garter stitch, so not complicated, just huge! I started it in the middle of August so it took a bit over a month with a big pause in the middle for my birthday dress. For anyone who’s curious I knitted the center portion until it was 25″ long or a smidge less than three whole skeins of the marl. And the fringe took an entire skein.

I’m planning to wear this to Gettysburg for Remembrance Day in November, so far it’s now the only thing I’ve finished…so I’m basically currently going in a hoop, corset and giant shawl…at least I’m not naked! …I better get sewing!